La Liga giants Barcelona finally lost its patience with manager Ronald Koeman and decided to part ways with the underachieving Dutchman. The club made the decision a few hours after an embarrassing 1-0 loss to Rayo Vallecano on Wednesday.
Barca confirmed the news via a short statement on their official website.
“Ronald Koeman will say goodbye to the squad on Thursday at the Ciutat Esportiva,” said the statement. “FC Barcelona wishes to thank him for his service to the Club and wishes him all the best in his professional career.”
Koeman’s exit doesn’t come as a major surprise considering he was on the hot seat for a while now. Barca was reportedly considering making this move for several weeks now, but the financial implications and lack of a backup plan kept Koeman on the job. Still, losses in El Clasico against bitter rivals Real Madrid over the weekend and now against Rayo made it clear to the club’s brass that they have to make a change if they want to salvage their season.
Ronald Koeman, who won four consecutive La Liga titles with Barcelona as a player, was hired by the Catalan club in August 2020. He was viewed as someone who shares the club’s core values and can help Barca return to glory after a disappointing period under Quique Setien.
While Koeman started his stint as Barca’s manager with a convincing 4-0 win over Villareal, the rest of his time at the helm was all but convincing. The club struggled to be consistent and failed to consistently perform in La Liga and UEFA Champions League. That’s particularly the case this season, in which Barcelona finds itself on the ninth spot in national competition with just four wins in 10 games. They are third in UCL with one win and two losses from three matches.
